I've made umpteenth attempts at blogging, and was never consistent with the same. This time, I want it to have a different fate; so to start with, my first conservative target is-- at least one good post per month! Let's see how it shapes out...

Monday, August 15, 2011

The Independence Day

Wish you all my countrymen a very happy independence day!

This past one year has been a year or turmoil for our nation; however I strongly feel that it was one of the best years in the history of independent India. Now, this might catch some people with surprise or shock that how could I say it!
How could I say it for the year which had another cowardly terrorist attack on my karmabhoomi Mumbai?
How could I say it for the year which saw inflation touching new levels?
How could I say it for a year embraced with peaks of corruption?

I'm here not to discuss any of the above issues, not today. Each one of them deserves a separate post from me, and I'll try to give them proper justice. However, my focus for the day is our 64th independent year. And hence, coming back to the questions; if we re-read them, we will see that the answer is hidden somewhere in those questions themselves. These all issues existed earlier too in one way or other, however we were never been able to voice our opinions out so clearly. Have you ever wondered, why? Was it lack of freedom? Of course, not (except for that horrific period of emergency). Was it lack of intellectuals? Hell, no. Then, what was it? What was so distinguishing last year? I call it- awareness; intellectuals may though like to garnish it with some other better-sounding and more fitting names.

This was the year of broaching. Everyone of us (let's say, most of us) broached about one thing or another, whether on our social networking profiles or through (micro)blogging. Mediums changed but not the idea. This year around, the philosophy was pretty simple- Ab Bas! I don't know how long will we go on this journey as we have a knack to forget things quickly; but somewhere down in some corner of my heart, I feel this time we wont lie down. This time we would challenge the basic premise of Indian attitude from "Yahan aisa hi hota hai" to "Ab tak hua, lekin aage nahi hoga". This time we would continue burning these flames within. This time, it shall be different.

I don't know if it shall happen the right way, or not but today, when I was watching the flag hoisting at Delhi (which is in its 100th year of being a national capital) while singing Jana Gana Mana (which is also running in its 100th year since it was first sung publicly), I felt proud! I felt proud not just of my identity as an Indian; but also for the changing identity of India. Wish you my country, even a better year next time. I promise to make you proud the same way you made me all through. And to my countrymen, yet again a very happy Independence Day!